The pandemic lockdowns were a fucking nightmare but some people turned the frustration into inspiration. Just ask Alexander Senum of the band Ethereal Tomb.
"I started playing guitar during the pandemic because I wanted to be in a band after being strictly a documentarian for years and my first band ended up becoming Ethereal Tomb," the Canadian guitarist/vocalist tells No Echo. "I ended up also singing for it which wasn’t the plan originally but happy it worked out like that. Bunch of lineup changes later, we’re rockin' n' rollin' harder than ever."
Ethereal Tomb straddles the line between a few musical styles, something Alexander does a great job of explaining. "It started out as a stoner doom/sludge band, which has always been funny to me and the homies because I’m straight edge. Nowadays we called it 'Turtle Island Street Metal' because we don’t really know what to genre to put it into and Purgatory did the “street metal” thing so figured we pick that torch up.
"My main influences are Earth Crisis, Black Sabbath, Fugazi, Death, and Have Heart but the FFO would be Dystopia, Crowbar, Grief, Bolt Thrower."
Ethereal Tomb's latest release is Life Beyond Oppressor's Brutality, which features 4 new original tracks, and the B-side of the vinyl version features tracks from their previously released 2022 split with Loose:
Alexander shares a bit about "Observing a Broken Man," the second cut from the new EP: "Honestly, it's a song that’s too personal for me to talk about lyrically on the record. My buddy said it sounds like Grief had a baby with 1999 Slipknot, which I think is fair.
"Jake (session drummer/engineer) and I worship 1999/2001 Slipknot so it makes sense it would turn out that way. Lots of picking up change riffs."
With the EP out now, Ethereal Tomb has just embarked on a North American tour that will run till May. "It's our first tour to the US, so we’re super-excited to rip it up across Turtle Island and meet a bunch of new friends."
Speaking of their scene in Canada, Alexander wants to show some love to some other bands doing cool shit over there right now. "Caleb and I both play in 2 The Bone which is like '90s hardcore homage. Caleb also plays in Purity Culture which is dropping music soon.
"Major shoutout to Mile End, Smuther, Doctor Cement, Shingen and Blood Wraith. Shoutout anyone, anywhere that puts on all ages shows and No Echo for putting on for so many years. LANDBACK."
Life Beyond Oppressor's Brutality is out now across digital music outlets and on vinyl via Wormwood Records (order here).
Hit the Ethereal Tomb Linktree to find all of their social media pages.
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